Emaar Retail has recorded a 25 percent annual growth in the number of partners showcased across its diverse world-class attractions, building a strong partnership network to over 100 leading global and local brands in 2012.

Emaar Retail LLC, the premium provider of leisure and entertainment, has recorded a 25 percent annual growth in the number of partners showcased across its diverse world-class attractions, building a strong partnership network to over 100 leading global and local brands in 2012.

Emaar Retail’s iconic leisure assets are key attractions in the iconic Dubai Mall which welcomes over 60 million visitors a year, and Dubai Marina Mall, the must-visit retail and leisure destination in New Dubai. In 2012, an impressive 5.2 million visitors were welcomed to Emaar Retail’s attractions, representing an increase of almost half a million visitors compared to 2011.

The robust performance of the leisure assets is a testament to the diverse and unique entertainment offered by Emaar Retail. An increasing number of brands are now attracted to the marketing platforms within these bespoke entertainment attractions as they recognise the exceptional opportunities to captivate tailored audiences.

Arif Amiri, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Retail LLC, said: “Forward thinking companies are constantly looking for innovative ways to showcase their brand offering within the increasingly competitive retail arena. Our growing partner network underlines the increasing popularity of Emaar Retail’s leisure attractions as preferred brand building platforms for international and local corporations where the focus is on long-term customer engagement. Emaar Retail has created new benchmarks in the retail sector through innovative entertainment offerings, which has provided our brand partners truly extensive platforms for exposure to a global audience.”

Leading entities such as Swatch Group have renewed partnerships with Emaar Retail in 2012, and the Group also counts several leading international brands such as Emirates Airline, Samsung, Coca Cola and Emirates NBD within its partnership network.

“With millions of visitors flocking each year to the Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, it presented an ideal platform to showcase our brand to a regional and global audience,” said Vikram Krishna, Head of Group Marketing & Customer Experience, Emirates NBD. “The resultant visibility generated through leveraging branding opportunities at strategic locations in and around the aquarium, also ensured long-term front-of-mind recall for the Emirates NBD brand.”

Last year, drawing on the world-class prestige of Emaar Retail’s leisure attractions, partnerships were forged with the UAE National Olympics Committee and Swatch Group for an array of promotions and show stopping events rolled out for visitors to the most popular attractions in the city including Dubai Ice Rink, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo and KidZania.

Marc A. Hayek from Swatch Group’s leading brand Blancpain, says: “Our Blancpain divers watch was brought to life in the unique setting of the Dubai Aquarium, one of the world’s largest aquariums, captivating the eyes of thousands each day. This dynamic attraction offers the perfect platform to highlight our commitment to protecting our rich Oceans and support for the environmental National Geographic Pristine Seas Expeditions.”

Young Soo Kim, President of Samsung Electronics, another brand partner, said: "By partnering with Emaar Retail we were able to reach out to millions of visitors at The Dubai Mall through innovative platforms at its leisure attractions. Over the last year this helped us to promote the launch of our SMART TVs, Samsung's Olympic sponsorship activation at the Dubai Ice Rink and the official unveiling of the Galaxy S3 at Dubai Aquarium. These activities were very successful at raising Samsung's profile amongst our core target groups.

KidZania® now has over 45 companies within its award winning edutainment destination. Innovative brands engage future generations in an inspired ‘mini city,’ where hundreds of thousands of children can enact professional lives such as an Emirates pilot, Damas jeweler or an HSBC bank teller, among others.

In addition to partners in the edutainment attractions, Reel Cinemas, owned and managed by Emaar Retail at The Dubai Mall and Dubai Marina Mall, have provided platforms that offer lifestyle incentives, including discounts for NBAD cardholders. The millions of visitors each year also provide unparalleled exposure for brands like Omega, showcasing across various media platforms. SEGA Republic, the largest of its kind indoor theme park, provides increasingly attractive marketing platforms with increased visitors and spend recorded in 2012.

Emaar Retail’s strong partnership network also lent to the stellar success of the Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala, organised by Emaar Properties PJSC, with support harnessed from various private sector entities including Emirates Airline, Etisalat, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, Mercedes Benz, and Omega, among others.

A broad spectrum of branding requirements are met by Emaar Retail’s award winning attractions, everything from dramatic wall displays, to customer loyalty promotions, specially tailored events and eye catching brand reveals from the depths of Dubai Aquarium to role playing in KidZania®’s mini city. Emaar Retail plans to grow its partnership network building on continued visitor and revenue growth across all leisure assets.